Feds To Review Bypass Proposal For Dorneyville

July 12, 1985|by VALERIE HILDEBEITEL, The Morning Call

The Federal Highway Administration, at the urging of local officials who support the proposed Dorneyville bypass project, agreed yesterday to review the project for possible financing as part of Interstate 78 construction costs.

In a briefing session arranged by U.S. Rep. Don Ritter, R-15th District, Lehigh Valley officials met with Ray Barnhart, head of the Federal Highway Administration, in Washington to explain what they see as the critical need for bypass funding.

Both Hamilton and Cedar Crest boulevards have been targeted as major detour routes during the construction of the interstate. In June, the U.S. Department of Transportation denied a request for funds for the $3.8-million, mile-long bypass because it was not part of the interstate system.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Joint Planning Commission of Lehigh-Northampton Counties and local officials, however, believe conditions at the already-failing intersection of Hamilton and Cedar Crest will only deteriorate with the addition of 10 percent more traffic during the three years needed to construct the highway. Following completion of the highway, traffic through the intersection is expected to jump another 40 percent.

"We were able to promote a greater understanding that the problems are closely related to the interstate," Ritter said last night in a telephone interview from Pittsburgh. "Prior to meeting, they perhaps didn't feel that our case was that strong.

"They may have felt there's another buildup of traffic there like in a lot of other places, " the Congressman continued. "We made the case that this is a unique situation with a potential for disaster. I think they understood."

Ritter said each of the Lehigh Valley contingency spoke of the situation in Dorneyville and of the importance of the bypass, generally noting that "developments in the area would increase traffic flow to the point where we really can't handle it any more. We can probably live with it the way it is, but I-78 would be the straw that broke the camel's back."

Sen. Arlen Specter and representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Gov. Dick Thornburgh's liaison office in Washington were also present.

Mackenzie, explaining that Cedar Crest Boulevard is a major north-south route in South Whitehall, told Barnhart that without the bypass, "we would see the impact of I-78 through increased accidents and heavier use of of side streets in residential areas.

"There has been plenty of growth in the area and the situation at the intersection (with Hamilton) is at its limits, " he added.

South Whitehall police, with the assistance of state police at Bethlehem, recently conducted a study of the intersection. Chief Donald MacConnell said there have been 73 accidents resulting in 42 injuries in the area over the past two years.

Lt. George M. Kamage Jr., commander of Troop M at the Bethlehem barracks, in a letter to the chief reported "a remedy to the problem would be the construction of a bypass that would create an alternate and less congested route for traffic. The elimination, not control, of heavy traffic is the solution."

Officials have also expressed concern that a bottleneck in Dorneyville could hinder movement of emergency vehicles from the Cetronia Fire and Ambulance stations and to the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center.

Daddona's concern for the project focused on the intersection's use as "a critical link in providing a better and more convenient access to center city Allentown."

Explaining that Allentown was instrumental in shifting the alignment of I- 78 from the southern corridor to Route 309 in an effort to spur economic development, the mayor said that "Hamilton Boulevard represents one of those important links between I-78 and downtown Allentown."

He cautioned that a failure to include the bypass in interstate funding would "shift the burden of funding onto the local municipalities through the use of Federal Urban Aid System Funds - an already highly used and highly competitive source.

"Since this region only receives approximately $1.6 million in these funds annually, it is obvious that several years of funding would need to be committed to complete the bypass project alone. This would have severe consequences on many other projects that rely on this source as the only possible funding means," he added.

A public relations spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration said yesterday that comment on the request would be "premature" at this time.

On Monday, the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study approved spending $200,000 in other federal money to do final design work on the bypass.

During that session, James Hadden, Bethlehem's representative on LVTS, questioned whether allocating $200,000 for design work before going to Washington could hurt chances of getting the highway administration to change its position.

But Taggart, secretary of that committee, said it would show people in Washington how serious regional planners are about wanting the bypass built.